Dutchy's Journey To A New Life
by The Outsider Girl
Summary: This is a story about Dutchy and how he came to America, and his losses, and the things he gained. Please Review!


Dutchy  
  
I remember my papa coming home excited, we were all sitting at the table when he showed us tickets for a boat that will lead us to freedom.  
  
"What's America like papa?" I asked as I tried to get a closer look at the ticket's he had in his arm.  
  
"My boy, America is a place where yous could be whatever yous want, it's the land of milk and honey," My father sat me on his lap, "The three of us are going to have a new life."  
  
My mudda cried with joy, "I can't wait to see this America," she danced around the kitchen, and started to sing, while placing her hand on her stomach, where the soon coming baby was.  
  
That night I couldn't get any sleep, so I sneaked into the sitting area of our house, and I saw my mother and father dancing in each others arm's. My mother had long red hair, creamy white skin, and blue eyes that sparkled when she was pleased with me, I remember her singing to me as she laid me down to sleep. My father was a tall man, of six feet, he had blonde hair and green eyes, he was one of the most jollied men in all of Holland, at least to me he was, he told the best folk tales. As I watched them dance I thought about all the good thing's we will do in America, I'll be able to go to school, and practice my writing and spelling. I must have fallen asleep watching them, because when I woke up I was on my bed.  
  
We headed to the ship, I don't recall the name of it but it was the biggest ship I ever did see. I remember there were so many people in this one spot, once we were headed out to sea, the ship didn't seem as big. Couple of month went by, and I saw my baby sister come into the world, and my mother leave. Then another month an illness took over half the people on the ship, my papa was included along with my sister. By the time I got to America, I was alone I became my own man. During the evening's I dreamt of watching my parent's dance, my sister being born, and just as quickly my mudda being taken away from me, and my family's body's being tossed into the sea, as they left me. I didn't cry at all on the ship, I wasn't allowed to, because I knew that if I were to, then it meant that I was all alone. Alone in the place that they call New York.  
  
I found that there were a variety of different kinds of people here. I had my thirteenth birthday when I was on the ship. It was time for me to look for work , and a place to stay. I found an old abandoned building so I stayed there for a month, then I would go to work shining shoes. The nights were cold, and the days were hot, saying that it was summer. I was walking around the city when some other boy bumped into me.  
  
"Watch where you're going," I said as I dusted my clothes off.  
  
The kid looked at me, "Who you think you're talking to kid?"  
  
Another guy showed up beside me, "You are going to learn your lesson kid," the guy got ready to punch me when out of no where another boy came and grabbed the guy off of me.  
  
I punched the other guy who tried to attack me, and I watched him follow his partner, I turned an d faced the boy who helped me, "Thanks for your help."  
  
The kid spit in his hand, and extended it out towards me, "The names Mush, and who might you be?"  
  
I stared at him; I thought he was assaulting me, "What did you do that for?"  
  
The boy now known as Mush smiled, "It's a spit shake, you never heard of a spit shake before?"  
  
I shook my head, "No I haven't, spitting is an insult where I am from."  
  
Mush laughed, "Where are you from, the ends of the earth?"  
  
I stared at him, "Holland, that's in Europe."  
  
Mush nodded, "I seen you shining shoes."  
  
I shrugged my shoulder, "Yeah your point is?"  
  
Mush waved his hands as to surrender, "I didn't mean nothing by it, I was just going to invite you to come stay at the lodging house and sale papes."  
  
I shook my head, "I'll think about it, thanks though."  
  
Mush rolled his eyes, "Where are you staying?"  
  
I didn't know how I could answer, I thought about his offer again quickly, "Okay, I guess I could give it a try."  
  
Mush lead me down the Manhattan streets, and we finally reached the place he called the lodging house, when I entered I saw a couple of kids fighting over a card game at the table, with another kid laughing at the amusing scene, then I noticed two other kid's sitting on the wooden stairs talking, and one kid was leaning over the banister looking down towards Mush and me. There was a kid with a crutch talking to an older man at the desk they both stared at me.  
  
"Can I help you boy?" The old man stared at me.  
  
I walked up to the desk where he was, "Yeah Mush, he told me that I could move in here."  
  
The old man opened his book, "You will need to sign in your name please," he handed me a pin.  
  
I took the pin hesitantly, "Okay," I pressed the tip of the pin against the paper, I tried to write down my name, but all I got out was a scribbled line, I handed him the pin, I felt my face turn red with embarrassment.  
  
Mush looked at the scribbled line then smiled, "Can't you write?"  
  
I shook my head, "No I was going to go to school here."  
  
The old man looked at me, "What's your name?"  
  
"Ivan Schmier," I looked at him, "What do they call you?"  
  
"Kloppman."  
  
I extended my hand towards him, "Nice to meet you."  
  
Kloppman took me into his office; he could tell that I needed to talk to him, "Have a seat boy Ivan."  
  
I sat down by his desk, and stared at him.  
  
"Ivan, do you want to talk to me, I kind of saw it in your eyes out there, where are you from?" Kloppman leaned back against his desk.  
  
I did want to talk to him, in my family the younger children would always go to the elders when we had a problem, I stared at him, "My papa got tickets for America, it took a few months to get here, during those months my mudda died while bringing my sister in this world, I had to stand by my father and sister, as we watched the guys lower my mother into the ocean below. The following month I watched half the people on the ship die from an illness, which no one knew the name of, I again had to watch as they lowered my father and sister into the ocean again, I was afraid to cry because if I do then it will mean there really gone. When I came to America I came to realize that I was my own man, so I started shining shoes for the last almost year, I just had another birthday which made me now fourteen, It isn't easy living without a family, knowing that I will never be able to see them again, Mush came and offered me a chance to be a Newsie, and now here I am. I was on my own in America for a whole year now, and now I feel like my life is getting back together."  
  
Kloppman stared at me wide eyes, "You have been through a great deal haven't you boy?"  
  
I nodded.  
  
Mush later introduced me to the kids, the two boys at the table fighting was, Race, and Snitch, the once who was laughing was Itey, who is Snitch's brother, the two boy's, who were sitting on the stairs were, Bumlets, and Specs, the one who was leaning against the banister was Kid Blink, and the kid with the crutch was actually called Crutchy. I met the other later on that night, Jack Kelly, Snoddy, Skittery, and Swifty. They were all my age except for Snitch, who was ten, and Itey who was nine, they discovered they were brothers cause Itey's mom slept with Snitchs dad a year after Snitchs mom died during birth, and they never knew about each other. I began to become good fiends with Itey, Snitch, and Mush through the years.   
  
The Newsies went on strike in June 1899, against Pulitzer who was the boss of 'The World.' Later on after we won the strike I came to realize from during the strike that the Newsies were my new family. During the time I was a Newsie, I came to find out about the Newsies, and what they went through. When I tell them my story they keep telling me that I was given a second chance. They are right, I wouldn't change anything about my past, I was where I was meant to be, and that was with the Newsies in New York.  
  
Thank you for taking your time to hear my story, remember you can't change the past but you could make a difference with your future. 'Carry the banner!'  
  
P.S. Kloppman taught me how to read a write, so I guess I actually got some schooling in a way. 


End file.
